Castles in County Dublin - Castles in Dublin, Castles in Fingal, Dublin Castle, Castleknock Castle, Rathfarnham Castle, Clontarf Castle (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Castles in Dublin, Castles in Fingal, Dublin Castle, Castleknock Castle, Rathfarnham Castle, Clontarf Castle, Malahide Castle, Luttrellstown Castle, Carrickmines Castle, Manderley Castle, Ardgillan Castle, Drimnagh Castle, Howth Castle, Swords Castle, Ashtown Castle. Excerpt: Castleknock Castle, a ruined Norman castle, lies in the grounds of Castleknock College, Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland. "The position of the castle is commanding, and its two deep ditches, and the ruins of its massive walls, bespeak its former strength. The Castle itself is thickly clad with ivy, and the entire hill covered with large and spreading trees. The whole is now reserved ground, enclosed with a strong fence. The solemn gloom of the place, its dark winding walks, and the profound silence that reigns around, make it a delightful solitude." A mound may have preceded the present medieval Norman structure. The polygonal keep was the notable feature of the castle. Attached to it was a large squat building. A curtain wall, interspersed with towers, surrounded the castle. There is a moat or ditch constructed around the castle. Today, the site is surrounded by trees while the ruins are seldom visible from the road except in winter. The earliest extant drawing of the castle by Francis Place also shows it in ruins, but somewhat less dilapidated than at present. There is also a small mound to the west of Castleknock College buildings known as Windmill Hill. There is a water tower there now which was built originally as an observatory by a previous owner, Simon Guinn. There is evidence of the site's importance prior to the erection of the castle in the Norman period. An ancient pagan cromlech was discovered. "In the year 1861, an ancient Cromlech, or Druid's altar, was disc... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4025147